Dwight Eisenhower assumed the presidency in 1953 at a time of unprecedented crisis. Americans longed for security and peace but regarded the Soviet Union as an imminent threat. Many had come to think of the Korean War as an awful mistake that resulted in thousands of needless American casualties. Ike seemed like the benevolent grandfather everyone looked to for comfort-a retired general with a beaming smile who spent his time playing golf and painter watercolors. Yet behind the scenes his reputation as a doddering lightweight was astonishingly inaccurate. "Ike's Bluff" offers a startling reevaluation of Eisenhower's presidency, where nothing less than the fate of the world was at stake. Acclaimed historian Evan Thomas, drawing upon diaries and newly declassified papers, reveals how the underrated Eisenhower was a surprisingly acute tactician, cold-blooded and brilliant at manipulating others in Washington, Moscow, and Beijing. A genius at poker and bridge-after West Point he had to stop playing because he had left too many fellow army officers insolvent-Ike could be patient and ruthless, a master of both the slow con and the bold conjecture. He persevered through a heart attack, a stroke, and intestinal surgery while struggling with loneliness and the terrible burden of having the power to destroy civilization. And in an ultimate showdown with the Soviet Union, China, and his own generals-some of whom believed a first strike was the only means of survival-Eisenhower would make his boldest and riskiest bet yet, one of such enormity that there could be but two outcomes: the survival of the world, or its end. This is the story of how he won.

Introduction: tell no one / Part I. Duty: 1953-1956. Confidence -- The card player -- Positive loyalty -- Cross of iron -- Gentleman's agreement -- Deception -- Learning to love the bomb -- The chamber pot -- Strange genius -- "Don't worry, I'll confuse them" -- Meeting Mr. Khrushchev -- The devil's grip -- Bows and arrows -- Rising storm -- Subtle and brutal / Part II. Honor: 1957-1961. Dark star -- The great equation -- The strong say nothing -- Guns of August -- Missile gap -- Looking for a partner -- Sweet words -- A regular pixie -- "The pilot's alive" -- "I'm just fed up!" -- The underestimated man / Epilogue: peace.